Flexible hose pump



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 25, 1960 WW 20 Ha I N V EN TOR. THEM/915 E DIP/H58) March 5, 1963 T. F. ORMSBY FLEXIBLE HOSE PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 25, 1960 INVENTOR. THU/W175i? UIFMSBY United States Patent 3,079,868 FLEXIBLE HOSE PUMP Thomas F. Grmsby, 2908 W. 11th St, Plainview, Tex. Filed Nov. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 71,655 3 Claims. (Cl. 103-149) This invention relates to improvements in pumps and more particularly to improvements in fluid pumps which utilize one or more elastomer tubes arranged on a concave, cylindrical segment so the pressure of rollers may be applied thereto to move fluid through a hose or hoses so as to progressively compress such hose to urge fluid therethrough and therefrom.

Various hose pumps have been proposed heretofore, but, due to the stretch of the hose elements and to the diificulty of maintaining the concave cylindrical segment truly cylindrical, such pumps have not been entirely satisfactory. The present pump has been designed to overcome such difiiculties as have heretofore been encountered.

An object of this invention is to provide a pump for pumping and measuring fluids or fluids and solids, particularly such fluids or solids as might be corrosive or abrasive to metal, and wherein no undue wear is accorded the pumping elements.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pump which is reliable in operation, and which is so designed as to pump a measured amount of fluid, either liquid or gas in given time or at each individual discharge of fluid therefrom.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a pump which is of such construction as to prevent feedback of material being pumped when the pump is idle.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a fluid pump which is simple in construction, easy to assemble and to disassemble, which is easy to maintain and simple to adjust and to keep adjusted and which is low in the cost of manufacture.

With these objects in mind and others which will become manifest as the description proceeds, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts in the several views thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pump taken from an end and the front thereof;

'FIG. 2 is an end elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the pump showing a drive sprocket thereon;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the pump with a portion of the shaft thereof being broken away;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; with parts being broken away and with parts being shown in section to bring out the details of con s'truction;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner of mounting the pump rollers on pairs of arms; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIG. 5, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

With more deta led reference to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a base, which is indicated as being formed of angle members each having an outturned flange and an upstanding leg. To each upstanding leg is secured an end member 2 by means of bolts 4. The end members 2 each has a shaft opening formed therethrough to receive shaft 36 are complementally apertured to receive bolts 6 therethrough. Each of the end members 2 has a milled groove 8 formed on the inner face thereof which grooves each form an 3,079,868 Patented Mar. 5, 1963 abutment to complementally receive the elongated backup plate 10, a segment of which back-up plate has a convex, cylindrical surface, and another portion of which back-up plate has a transition angle 11 and a downturned, apertured flange 12 to receive tubular members therethrough.

The down-turned angle or flange portions 12 of backup plate 10' fit into the complementary grooves 8 of the end plate 2, whereupon bolts 6 are passed through the end plates 2 to bindingly engage the back-up plate 10 between the end plates 2 in secure relation. An intake manifold 14 has the ends thereof closed by plates 16, which plates 16 are apertured on the lower side thereof to receive bolts 18 therethrough and through apertures 20 in the upstanding legs of the base 1 to fixedly hold the manifold 14 in adjusted relation with respect to the base 1. The apertures 20, which are provided in base 1, enable adjustment of the manifold 14 longitudinally of said frame.

The manifold 14 has a primary inlet port 22 on one side thereof and outlet tubes 24 leading therefrom. The present pump indicates eight of these tubes 24, however, the number may be varied from one to many, as is desirable for the particular pumping operation to be performed. An inlet hose (not shown) is connected to the inlet port 22 so as to withdraw the fluid being pumped from a container, and the hoses 26 are connected to dis charge outlets 24, as by hose clamp 28. Each hose 26 is of sufficient length to extend to the most remote point of the concave, cylindrical segmental surface of back-up plate 10 and thence to an outlet tube 39 which is fixedly secured in the respective apertures within angle member 12. The hose 26 is secured to the tube 30 as by hose clamp 32.

Each of the end plates 2 is slotted, as indicated at 34 to complementally receive a shaft 36 therethrough, which shaft 36 is journaled in bearings 38 which bearings are mounted within blocks 39, which blocks are slidably mounted within the respective bearing housings 40 which are preferably elongated, as will best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 5. The shaft 36 may be resiliently urged toward the back-up plate 14; by screw threaded bolts 42 which threadably engage the respective bearing housings 40 and each said bolt being in bearing relation with a compression spring 44 each compression spring being seated against the respective slidable blocks 39. A screw threaded backup bolt 46 is threadably engaged with each opposite end of the respective bearing housings 40, which bolts are in bearing engagement with the respective plates 47 which are in abutting relation with the respective slidable blocks 39 so as to limit the movement of the shaft 36 and the spiders 48, carrying rollers 50, toward the inner concave surface of cylindrical segmental member 19.

A spider 48 is mounted on and fixedly secured to shaft 36 near the inner face of each of the end plates 2, which spiders have elongated rollers 50 extending therebetween and journaled therein in bearings 52 for free turning movement with respect thereto, and while the bearings 52 are shown to be sleeve bearings, it is to be understood that such bearings are illustrative. These bearings can be made of nylon, bronze, or they can be anti-friction bearings, in accordance with the requirements of the particular operation.

The rollers 59 are of such rigidity as to resist bending to the particular load applied thereto, and the shaft 36 carrying the spiders 38 and rollers 54; may be adjusted laterally toward concave back-up plate 1% so that the arc described by the rotation of the rollers 5% about the axis of the shaft 36 will engage hose 26 at the point of tangency near the end of hack-up plate 16 adjacent tubes 24 in manifold 14, and will press the hose 26 so the inner walls thereof will be in contact relation between the" a,o79,sss v rollers and the concave portion of back-up plate 10, whereupon, the rollers will move through an arc of 180 degrees to urge the fluid in hose 26 thereahead to be discharged out through discharge tube 30, however, since the rollers 50 are spaced less than 180 degrees apart, successive rollers 50 will move into engagement with hose 26, in the manner described above, to move the fluid or fluid and solids through the hose in successive charges, whereby a substantially continuous pumping operation will be carried out so long as the shaft 36 is driven by sprocket 54, and so long as the inlet port 22 of the manifold 14 is connected with a fluid supply. However,

at least one of the rollers is always in engagement with the hose to prevent feed back of the liquid when the pump is idle.

It is preferable for a screw threaded bolt 42 to urge each spring 44 inward against the respective slide blocks 39 sufiiciently to urge shaft 36 into position to be axial with respect to cylindrical segment of the convex back-up plate 10, the screw threaded elements may be so regulated that the tension of springs44 is such that rollers 50 need not compress the inner walls of hose 26 into contact relation, if a lesser amount of fluid is to be pumped. If it is desired that the slotted blocks be moved a gauged amount, screw threaded bolts 49 may be adjusted to hold the blocks 39 at a spaced distance with respect to the convex surface of back-up plate 10.

By utilizing the springs 44 to urge shaft 36 and rollers '50 inward toward back-up plate 10, the spring may be adjusted to pump liquids, gases or a combination of liquids and gases or liquids and solids entrained therein, however, when solids are being pumped, the pressure on springs 44 is released to such extent that the solids will embed within the elastomer hoses 26 without causing holes to be cut therethrough.

The elastomer hose 26 may be made of rubber, synthetic rubber yieldable plastic, or other suitable material in accordance 'with the material being pumped. Therefore, many materials which are highly corrosive to metals can be pumped by the use of hose 26, furthermore, while the manifold 14, tubes 24 and 30 have been generally indicated as metallic, it is to be understood that these may be made of plastic or elastomer material to resist the corrosive effects of the materials being pumped.

Even though the end'plates 2 are each milled to receive the ends of back-up plate ifl'and down-turned angle 12, bolts 6 are positioned to be in bearing relation with the exterior surface of back-up plate It) and down-turned plate or angle 12 so as to prevent distortion of back-up plate 10 by rollers 59 as the hose'26 is pressed thereagainst.

Due to the stretching of hose 26, an adjustment with respect to manifold 14 has been provided, whereby, upon moving bolts 13 which pass through plates 16 into selected ones of the various adjustment holes 20, the relative position of hose 26 with respect to back-up plate 19 may be had, thereby enabling the correct length of hose to be used so as to extend around the rollers and to outlet pipe 30 in the proper relation. The back-up plate 19 has a transition angle portion .11 adjacent the lower end where the rollers 50 initially contact the back-up plate 10, thereby starting a gradual squeeze on the hose 26 rather than an abrupt contact.

While the spiders 48 are shown to have three arms positioned at 120 degree spacing, with each pair of arms carrying a roller 50 therebetween, it is to be understood that the number of rollers carried by the spiders may be varied in accordance with the pumping requirements. Furthermore, eight hoses are shown, but it is to be understood that this is for the purpose of illustration only, and that the number of hose used may be one or a multiplicity thereof, and certain outlet ports of tubes 24 may be plugged, when these tubes are not in use, thereby enabling the pump to serve a widevariety of uses without the necessity of providing a separate pump with a specific number of hoses for each specific application.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in some detail, in one embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that changes may be made in the minor details of construction, the number of certain parts may be varied and adaptations made to particular uses without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described .the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pump for pumping fluids, a base, a pair' of spaced apart end plates mounted on said base and extending upward therefrom, each of said end plates having an abutment thereon on the inner face thereof, a back-up plate positioned against said abutments on said end plates, means holding said back-up plate in fixed relation with respect to said end plates, said back-up plate having at least a portion thereof defining a concave arcuate surface, said end plates each being apertured so the axis of said arcuate, concave portion of said back-up plate will extend there'through, a manifold mounted on said base and extending substantially the full length of said con-' said elastomer hose, a shaft extending through the respective apertures in said end plates and being journalcd' therein, a pair of roller support members mounted on said shaft, one in close proximity to each inner face of 3 said respective end plates, a plurality of roller members mounted near the outer periphery of said roller support members and positioned therebetween, the axes of which, roller members are equally spaced from the axis which passes through said roller support member and the path of the axes of which roller members will be approximately concentric with the axis of said concave, arcuate back-up plate, spring means urging said shaft carrying said roller support members and said roller members toward the surface of said concave, arcuate portion of said back-up plate, the inner faces of said end plates being complementally grooved to form said abutments to receive the respective longitudinal ends of said back-up plate thereinto, and wherein the means for holding said back-up plate in fixed relation to said end plates is bolts, which bolts extend through said end plates and are fitted adjacent the convex side of said arcuate portion of said back-up plate. I

2. In a pump for pumping fluids, a base, a pair of spaced apart end plates mounted on said base and extending upward therefrom, each of said end plates having an abutment thereon on the inner face thereof, a backup plate positioned against said abutments on said end plates, means holding said back-up plate in fixed relation with respect to said end plates, said back-up plate having at least a portion thereof defining a concave, arcuate surface, said end plates each being apertured so the axis of saidarcuate, concave portion of said back-up plate will' extend therethrough, a manifold mounted on said base and extending substantially the full length of said concave, arcuate portion of said back-up plate, a plurality of hose connected in fluid communication with said manifold and extending along said arcuate, concave surface of said back-up plate, an outlet pipe connected to each said elastomer hose, a shaft extending through the apertures in said end plates and being journaled therein, a pair of roller support members mounted on said shaft, one in close proximity to each inner face of said respective end plates, a plurality of roller members mounted near the outer periphery of said roller support members and positioned therebetween, the axes of which roller members are equally spaced from the axis passing through said roller support member and the path of the axes 'ofwhich roller members will be approximately concentric with the axis of said concave, arcuate back-up plate, spring means urging said shaft carrying said roller support mem bers and said roller members toward the surface of said concave, arcuate portion of said back-up plate, a rectangular, elongated, hollow housing is mounted on each said end plate, a rectangular bearing block mounted in each said bearing housing, a bearing member mounted in each rectangular bearing block to form said journal for said shaft, one of said spring means being within each said rectangular housing and being fitted in bearing relation with said respective rectangular bearing blocks to urge said bearing blocks and said shaft toward said concave, arcuate portion of said back-up plate, and wherein screw means extend through each said elongated bearing housings in opposed relation to said respective spring means to exert pressure on said rectangular bearing blocks to adjustably position each said rectangular bearing block with relation to the axis of said concave, arcuate portion of said back-up plate.

3. A pump for pumping fluids, which pump comprises a base, two apertured end members mounted on said base, said base comprising two members, which base members extend outwardly from said end members, each said outwardly extending base member being transversely apertured with a series of spaced apart apertures, said pairs of apertures in said respective base members being in axial alignment, an apertured, shouldered lug positioned on each said base member, the apertures in said shouldered lugs being in position to register with the apertures in said base members when said apertured lugs have the shoulders thereof in abutting relation with the upper edge of the respective base members, bolt means passing through each said shouldered lug and through the respective apertures in Said outwardly extending base members to selectively hold said lugs in adjusted position, an

inlet manifold extending between said lugs and being rigidly secured thereto, which inlet manifold is adapted to connect with a source of fluid supply, said inlet manifold having outlets therein, a back-up plate having a concave, cylindrical, segmental surface, lengths of elastomer hose connected to said inlet manifold and being in fluid communication with the outlets formed therein, which lengths of elastomer hose extend across said concave, cylindrical, segmental surface of said back-up plate and are in conformity therewith, each length of elastomer hose having an open outlet end, means securing the outlet ends of said hose in fixed relation with respect to said back-up plate, a shaft journaled in said apertured end plates, a rotatable member mounted on said shaft for turning movement about the axis within said concave, cylindrical, segmental surface of said back-up plate, a plurality of rollers journaled on said rotatable member for turning movement about their respective axes, the axes of the respective rollers are spaced equally from the axis of the back-up plate, the axis of said rotatable member being approximately coaxial with the axis of said concave, cylindrical segmental surface of said back-up plate, means con nected with the shaft on which said rotatable member is mounted for rotating said member so said rollers will engage said hose positioned between said rollers and said concave, cylindrical, segmental surface of said back-up plate, and resilient means interposed between said end members and said shaft to yieldably urge said rollers into contact relation with said elastomer hose.

Owen Mar. 1, 1932 Blue et al Nov. 24, 1959 

1. IN A PUMP FOR PUMPING FLUIDS, A BASE, A PAIR OF SPACED APART END PLATES MOUNTED ON SAID BASE AND EXTENDING UPWARD THEREFROM, EACH OF SAID END PLATES HAVING AN ABUTMENT THEREON ON THE INNER FACE THEREOF, A BACK-UP PLATE POSITIONED AGAINST SAID ABUTMENTS ON SAID END PLATES, MEANS HOLDING SAID BACK-UP PLATE IN FIXED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID END PLATES, SAID BACK-UP PLATE HAVING AT LEAST A PORTION THEREOF DEFINING A CONCAVE ARCUATE SURFACE, SAID END PLATES EACH BEING APERTURED SO THE AXIS OF SAID ARCUATE, CONCAVE PORTION OF SAID BACK-UP PLATE WILL EXTEND THERETHROUGH, A MANIFOLD MOUNTED ON SAID BASE AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID CONCAVE, ARCUATE PORTION OF SAID BACK-UP PLATE, A PLURALITY OF HOSE CONNECTED IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID MANIFOLD AND EXTENDING ALONG SAID ARCUATE, CONCAVE SURFACE OF SAID BACK-UP PLATE, AN OUTLET PIPE CONNECTED TO EACH SAID ELASTOMER HOSE, A SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH THE RESPECTIVE APERTURES IN SAID END PLATES AND BEING JOURNALED THEREIN, A PAIR OF ROLLER SUPPORT MEMBERS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, ONE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH INNER FACE OF SAID RESPECTIVE END PLATES, A PLURALITY OF ROLLER MEMBERS 